During the running boom in the 1970s in the United States, the marathon distance was undoubtedly one of the most popular race distances. Presently, the 5K is the most popular race distance in the USA, followed closely by the half marathon.
According to the International Institute of Sports Medicine, about 2.1 million people ran a half marathon worldwide in 2018.
Half-marathon training is generally less time-consuming and more manageable than a full marathon for runners who balance a family and a full-time job with running.
In this guide to how to train for a half marathon, I will give you my expert coach tips for half marathon training that extend beyond just the workouts shown on half marathon training plans so that you have the best half marathon race experience possible.
How to Train for a Half Marathon: 8 Training Tips For First-Time Half Marathoners
Here are my top tips for how to train for a half marathon, especially if this is your first race:
#1: Follow an Appropriate Half Marathon Training Plan
There are hundreds of premium and free half-marathon training plans to choose from, but it’s not enough to choose the first half-marathon training plan you come across or a half-marathon distance training plan that someone recommends.
You have to choose the best training plan for your current fitness level, training goals, and needs.
Be realistic about not only your ability level or finishing time goal but also the number of weeks of training you have available and the amount of time you have to train each week to calculate appropriate weekly mileage.
Check out our huge library of free half marathon plans here to get you to that start line, and finish line!
If you really want some one-on-one help, consider getting a running coach.
#2: Cross Train
Even if you are a fast runner, running 13.1 miles without stopping is an impressive feat, so it requires following a dedicated and disciplined half-marathon race training plan to build your endurance and strength to run the race and meet your target goals by race day.
Keeping the overall running mileage on the lower side and supporting your half-marathon preparation with cross-training workouts to boost your aerobic fitness is a great way to approach half-marathon training while putting less stress on your body.1NILSSON, J., & THORSTENSSON, A. (1989). Ground reaction forces at different speeds of human walking and running. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 136(2), 217–227. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-1716.1989.tb08655.x
Biking, swimming, rowing, elliptical machines, and other forms of cardio exercise can improve your overall fitness, which can indirectly make you a better runner and reduce the risk of injuries.2de Jonge, J., Balk, Y., & Taris, T. (2020). Mental Recovery and Running-Related Injuries in Recreational Runners: The Moderating Role of Passion for Running. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 1044. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17031044
#3: Vary Your Workouts
The best half marathon training schedule incorporates different types of running workouts, not just easy runs. Speedwork, tempo runs, intervals, Farletks, and hills can be excellent workouts to spice up your training plan and improve your fitness level.
Adding variety to your workouts prevents boredom and can help make a longer running workout fly by while also challenging different energy systems, muscle fibers, and aspects of your cardiovascular fitness.
Running intervals is one of the best ways to capitalize on the benefits of running when you have a shorter workout time, such as just a 20-minute run.
You can structure the length of the fast bursts and recovery bouts based on your fitness level and training goal.
Play around with different lengths for your hard intervals.
For example, a 20-minute fartlek run can be a form of high-intensity interval training if you keep the recovery period short enough that your heart rate doesn’t get much below 75% of your maximum heart rate.
It should reach at least 85 to 90% of your maximum heart rate during the hard intervals.
An experienced runner might be able to do 30 seconds hard, alternating with 15 seconds easy for a challenging 20-minute HIIT running workout.
Be sure to warm up and cool down before and after these types of workouts.
To this end, vary the routes you run and even the terrain to prevent boredom and reduce the repetitive nature of running by altering the stimulus on your musculoskeletal system.
#4: Don’t Be Afraid to Run Slowly
Given the technological advancements and lower price points of high-tech GPS running watches, runners can now get just about any workout stat in real-time during their training sessions.
While there are many benefits of training by pace and using a GPS running watch, it is also an equally valid approach to training—and sometimes even preferable—to always (or at least occasionally) ditch your watch and just run by feel, especially for recovery runs.
This can help you really tune in to how your body is feeling and slow down if need be without feeling pressure to hit a certain race pace, distance, heart rate, etc., based on whatever your watch shows.
#5: Be Flexible
While you might be following the best half-marathon training plan for your needs, we all have times when a niggle pops up, or you really should take a recovery day or cross-training day instead of a running day because you feel fatigued.
A “smart” runner isn’t a runner who follows a half marathon training plan as if it is written in stone, but rather one that uses any half marathon training plan as a good guide in conjunction with listening to their body.
#6: Strength Train With a Purpose
The importance of weight lifting as a part of your training has gathered enough scientific evidence and endorsements from runners of all ability levels, making it a much easier “sell“ to get recreational runners to engage in consistent strength training workouts.
For example, studies show3Vikmoen, O., Rønnestad, B. R., Ellefsen, S., & Raastad, T. (2017). Heavy strength training improves running and cycling performance following prolonged submaximal work in well-trained female athletes. Physiological Reports, 5(5), e13149. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.13149 that strength training workouts for runners can improve aerobic capacity (VO2 max) and submaximal endurance performance due to the resulting neuromuscular adaptations.
While you don’t need to be a serious weightlifter or bodybuilder with your strength training for running, you do want to be purposeful in how you perform your strength training routine.
Runners most commonly fall prey to making two mistakes with resistance training: not lifting heavy enough and not choosing the best strength training exercises for runners.
With the first common mistake that runners make with strength training is that running is already a muscular endurance or catabolic exercise, so you want your strength training workouts to be the converse: heavy weights and fewer reps to help build muscle.
For the best resistance training exercises for runners, focus on unilateral exercises that help correct muscle imbalances caused by running. If you don’t have access to weights, you can also do bodyweight exercises. Every little bit helps!
When we think about our muscles and the effectiveness of strength training workouts, we often focus on “stronger muscles“ and “weaker muscles.“
Addressing relative strength deficits with specific resistance training exercises targeting the weaker muscles will help correct muscle imbalances and improve overall functional strength.
Include exercises like lunges, single-leg glute bridges, squats, planks, push-ups, pull-ups, and calf raises.
#7: Do Active Recovery Workouts
After a long run in your half marathon training plan, or if you nail a tough speed workout on your half marathon training program, you may be inclined to lie down or sit around the rest of the day.
However, think of yourself as an athlete 24/7, not just when doing a specific workout or training run.
Try walking around, stretching, or using your foam roller later in the day after some of your more extensive runs or workout sessions.
Moving your body is great for overall health. It will also increase circulation to your muscles if you are sore from intense training. This can help aid recovery and may reduce muscle soreness.
This doesn’t mean not to take your rest days; they are also important!
#8: Do The Little Things
There’s a popular saying, “Work hard, play hard,“ but for runners training for a half marathon, we should change this to, “Train hard, recover hard.“
This means that all of the supplementary activities you do outside of your actual running workout need to be given the same level of importance in your mind and with your energy and efforts as your actual workouts.
This includes fueling your body with a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, focusing on good hydration, stretching, and doing mobility work.
Here are some tips to help you get better sleep at night.
Develop a good sleep hygiene routine before bed that involves things like using a blue light filter on your screen devices for 90 minutes before (even using a blue light filter all day long is advisable because blue light can interfere with sleep cycles in general) and avoiding caffeine in the six hours before bedtime.
Optimize your sleep environment by turning down all the lights and using a white noise machine or sleep soundscape soundtrack to block noise and induce calm.
How Long Does It Take to Train for a Half Marathon?
Aside from trying to find the best half marathon training plans, one of the most common questions about half marathon training is: “How long does it take to train for a half marathon?“
For complete beginners, we can estimate a range of around a 15-16 week plan to train for a half marathon. However, this particular marathon training question is highly dependent on numerous factors.
We have an entire article devoted to the topic where you can calculate the time you will need to prepare. Click here to estimate your half-marathon training time!
Lace up those running shoes, and let’s get training!
